South Vietnam
The Kingdom of South Vietnam officially called the Kingdom of Vietnam 'or simply '''South Vietnam '''is a constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. Situated on the southeastern coast, South Vietnam is bordered immediately to the north by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), to the northwest by the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and by the Khmer Republic of Cambodia to the southwest. Thailand is across the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest, and the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia are across the South China Sea to the east and southeast. The capital and largest city is Saigon. As a member of SEATO since 1957 and a member of the UN since 1960, South Vietnam has played an important advisory role in Western affairs throughout Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Vietnam is ruled by King Nicolas since 2018 after the abdication of his father Henry II after 36 years due to health problems. Etymology Vietnam was unified and renamed 'Vietnam' officially after, Nguyen Phuc An, the originator of the first Nguyen dynasty became Emperor Gia Long in 1802. In the current political climate after the Vietnamese Civil War, the official title of South Vietnam is the 'Kingdom of Vietnam', with North Vietnam officially called the 'Socialist Republic of Vietnam'. In official/international and otherwise legally-binding documents, South Vietnam is referred to as the 'Kingdom of Vietnam'. In everybody speech and writing, the 'Kingdom of South Vietnam' or 'South Vietnam' is acceptable to differentiate between north and south States. Demographics South Vietnam covers 173,809 km2 (67,108 sq mi) of land, with a population of 51,446,201 (as of the 2015 Census) giving the country a population density of 295.99/per km2. Crime particularly, homicides is low averaging 1.11% (5.71/per 100,000 people) of crimes committed nationwide. As of 2006, 97% of South Vietnamese have access to quality state-funded healthcare. Brief history Vietnam has been under dynastic rule since the Ngo dynasty was established in 939. When the French colonised the territory in 1858 as a protectorate for the Tonkin, Annam, and Cochinchina regions of the country, along with Laos and Cambodia as Indochina the emperor was relegated to a nominal advisory role to the Governor-General of Indochina. After World War II, fearing a civil uprising in Asia after the War, France broke up Indochina, granting Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia independence. Vietnam was granted independence in 1947. As the Vietnamese celebrate their independence for the first time in almost a century, Nationalist forces under the control of anti-royalist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh embolden by aid from communist powers China and the Soviet Union, invaded the south-central town of Quang Tri in Nov 1949. Vietnamese Civil War (1949-55) Main article: Vietnamese Civil War (1949-55) The emperor at the time, Bao Dai, pushed back the Nationalist forces out of Quang Tri in Jan 1950, establishing the borderline between the pro-West, royalist South and the communist, anti-royalist North. The western powers commended Bao Dai for pushing back the Nationalist forces and in return sent supplies and monetary aid to the South Vietnamese starting in 1951. This allowed the Royalist forces to overrun the Nationalists into retreating out of the High Central region by Christmas 1952. However, communist reinforcements helped the Nationalists in reestablishing control from 1953-54. In Valentine's Day 1955, under the direction of General Nguyen Huu Khang, the Vietnamese Royalists along with French and U.S. aerial forces, strategically bombed the Nationalist capital of Hanoi non-stop for two weeks, while sending in 20,000 ground troops to blockade Ho Chi Minh's escape from his residence. The operation, Operation Downfall, as called by the Americans resulted in 16,000 direct civilian deaths and Hanoi bombed into submission. On May 5, 1955, Ho Chi Minh and Bao Dai signed the Quang Tri Peace Accords, ending the war, but permanently splitting the area into two states, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Vietnam. Bao Dai solution While Bao Dai won the war, he was unpopular and largely blamed for the break up of Vietnam. In 1957, a South Vietnamese war tribunal stripped Bao Dai of his imperial title and powers, in essence forcing him to abdicate. With South Vietnam without a monarch, the Imperial Council looked for a suitable replacement and found one in General Khang. As the war hero that saved the nation, General Khang was also a distant relative of Bao Dai, thus allowing the Nguyen dynasty to continue. Not wanting to be reminded of the colonial era, the Imperial Council declared the Empire of Vietnam as the Kingdom of Vietnam with the King of Vietnam as head of state, fashioned mostly after the British monarchy. The position Prime Minister of South Vietnam was established as the head of government. Reunification attempts Since the end of the Vietnamese Civil War in 1955, there have been many attempts by the South Vietnam king to unify with the North Vietnamese. The first attempt was in 1961 when King Henry I asked for a visa into Hanoi to attend a childhood friend's wedding, he was denied by the Ho Chi Minh. Hopes of reunification improved after the communist leader's death in 1969, however despite gradual moves towards reunifying since 1970, the closest the North and South Vietnamese governments have come is the opening of the Quang Tri Border Station in 1994 after the North Vietnamese government finished construction of the northern section of the Vietnamese Interstate System in the border region connecting it to the southern section. The border station is a cooperative entry point that allows semi-free movement between the two countries. Government/Politics See also: Politics of South Vietnam; Main article: King Nicolas of South Vietnam 'Monarchy The monarchy of South Vietnam is the constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Vietnam. The current monarch and head of state is King Nicolas, the youngest monarch in 21st century Nguyen dynasty history and currently the youngest head of state as of 2019. Second Nguyen dynasty (1957-present) The Nguyen dynasty has ruled Vietnam since 1802, and nominally from 1858 to 1947, under the protectorate status of France. The current Nguyen dynasty line is not same as the Nguyen dynasty originating from Gia Long, but a satellite branch of the original as King Henry I (General Khang) was a distant cousin of Bao Dai. The Second Nguyen dynasty is vastly different from the first, first and foremost being kings, not emperors. Second, have been Catholic since 1954 and have often taken the Catholic saint's name they were baptised as the regnal name instead of the traditional Confucian name bestowed to emperors pre-1957. Formal Nguyen-Bourbon alliance In 1962, then Crown Prince (Hoàng thái tử) Nguyen Huu Hai married a French-Vietnamese woman, Lady Julienne, with direct familial ties to the French House of Bourbon, however, the marriage was annulled by the Pope in 1967 before the crown prince became king. It was not consummated therefore an annulment was granted. In the annulment, Julienne would no longer be a member of the royal family, instead was made Duchess (Nữ công tước) Julienne of Hue, a non-royal title of nobility. However, in 1980, Prince Nguyen Huu Hanh married Julienne's youngest sister, Lady Thu, who was born in Vietnam further cementing the connection between the House of Nguyen and the House of Bourbon. Crown Prince Nguyen Huu Kiet (later King Nicolas), Princess (Công chúa) Nguyen Thuy Linh, and Prince (Hoàng tử) Nguyen Huu Minh resulted in the marriage. Royal family media coverage The royal family's public relations are handled by the Royal Press Office. The Royal Speaker is the king's mouthpiece in Parliament. The royal family has been Catholic since 1954 when Henry I converted in a baptismal ceremony at Dalat Cathedral. Since Dalat Cathedral has been the main place of worship for the royal family. Because of media coverage of royal events at Dalat Cathedral, it has been dubbed "the Westminister Abbey of Vietnam". The royal family is very well liked by the people, it is an honour to be invited by the King to the Royal Palace during the first three days of Tết. Then Crown Prince Nguyen Huu Kiet's royal wedding to Lady Trang Tuyet Tien in 2016 drew 35,000 well-wishers outside Dalat Cathedral. Style of the King To date, there have been four kings of Vietnam since reestablishment in 1957. All were christened at coronation by the Bishop of Dalat: "By the Grace of God and the will of the Nation, King of the Vietnamese…". During the Quang Tri Peace Accords, Ho Chi Minh argued that Bao Dai was not "Emperor of Vietnam" because one Vietnam does not exist. So it was specifically stated in the peace agreement "The monarch of the Empire of Vietnam is not the ruler of all Vietnam and therefore cannot be titled/called the 'Emperor of Vietnam'." Subsequently, upon being crowned King, Henry declared: "I may not be king of the land, but the people of North Vietnam—my friends, your friends and kin, our neighbours—are still Vietnamese and therefore I am King of the Vietnamese!" - King Henry of South Vietnam, June 16, 1957 Because the Nguyen dynasty never formally ceded imperial rule to another family but was simply changed by the Imperial Council upon selection of Henry I from Emperor to King (Imperial to Royal), the king is granted the style of His Royal Majesty (Hoàng đế). ''Spoken style, ''Your Majesty or Sire (Bệ hạ) are acceptable forms of address. King's Parliamentary Powers The King of South Vietnam has three important roles in government. First, the king may dissolve Parliament (the lower house) and/or dismiss the Prime Minister in between election years if the actions of the Prime Minister ("The Government") are "deemed overtly detrimental" to the well-being of the citizens. Second, the king may through the House of Lords, and the Royal Speaker add amendments to existing bills but not propose new laws. The king also must give Royal Assent (sign bills into law) unless the Prime Minister asks for a Royal Notary. Third, the king in times of war is the Commander-in-chief of the Royal Vietnamese Military. Succession Succession rules are written into the 1960 constitution under Article VII: Public Office & Succession, Section III Royal Succession, Sub-articles I-V Prime Minister The Prime Minister of South Vietnam is the head of the government of South Vietnam, first established in 1957. Serving "at the pleasure of the King" the Prime Minister is in charge of the executive and legislative functions in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister and the government's duties are executed by the Cabinet Ministry. The Prime Minister resides and conducts business at the Palace of Parliament in Saigon, while Cabinet Ministers oversee their departments from their various offices, collectively known as the Cabinet Complex in Saigon. The Prime Minister and other Members of Parliament (MPs) of the House of Commons are elected by direct popular vote every five years unless the king or Parliament, itself, dissolves early. The current Prime Minister is Le Xuan Tuyen, MP from Nha Trang elected in the 2015 regular Parliamentary elections. Term limits The Constitution states the Prime Minister shall serve "at the pleasure of the King" effectively eliminating term limits however it also states the PM, is "at the will of the people" allowing elections and party politics dictate tenure. Historically, PMs have averaged a tenure of 4.1 years, with the longest, serving eight years, and the shortest serving 10 months. Of the 21 Prime Ministers to have held office, 14 have been men; seven have been women. Parliament The Parliament of South Vietnam (PSV) consists of two Houses, the Vietnamese House of Commons (the lower and more powerful house) and the Vietnamese House of Lords (a largely advisory body to the government and the king) but it is also able to introduce bills, except budgetary into the Commons. The House of Commons consists of 435 seats while the House of Lords consists of 65 seats made up of the Vietnamese nobility. A yearly Parliament session runs from May 5 to Lunar New Year's Eve (around late-January, early-February). Both Houses meet in the Palace of Parliament in Saigon. Elections In South Vietnam, Regular Parliament elections occur every five years with all 435 seats up for election. A snap election occurs when the King or Parliament itself votes to dissolve before the next Regular year with all 435 seats available. South Vietnam uses a first-past-the-post voting system with automatic recounts triggered if the margin of victory is 0.5 or less. A party must control a majority of seats to "assemble Parliament" if no majority is reached, parties have 60 days to form a coalition majority and "assemble Parliament". If after 60 days, no majority is found, the King convenes a Royal Lords Administration to handle Parliament business for 30 days while the Royal Speaker addresses a hung Parliament to reach a compromise less risk "contempt of the King" punishable by a ƒ750,000 fine and 6-12 years in prison for "obstruction of the justice, will and faith of the King and Vietnamese people". To date, there have been three hung Parliaments (1973, 1977, 1980), all three assembled within 14 days. Law and Order Constitution See Politics of South Vietnam Supreme Court of Vietnam See Politics of South Vietnam. Economy South Vietnam's economy is open-market, capitalist, and pro-Western business. The main financial hubs of the country are Saigon and Nha Trang, with the latter also being a major supply port. Port cities are important to the continuing growth of South Vietnam. The aforementioned city of Nha Trang along with Da Nang and Can Tho take in two-thirds of the country's shipping and distribution traffic. South Vietnam's leading industries are finance, tourism, agricultural food production, information technology, shipping and distribution, and light manufacturing. The World Monetary Fund ranks South Vietnam as the fourth largest in Asia behind China, Japan, and India as of 2015, overtaking South Korea. With a projected 8% GDP growth in the next decade. South Vietnam has operated with a balanced and fully-funded budget since 1994. And as of 2019, is debt-free. The country currently holds a AAA credit rating from S&P. International Trade Internationally, South Vietnam is part of the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region cooperative block as a founding member, and the Asian Econ Group, a multilateral trading group that consists of China, Japan, South Korea, India, and South Vietnam as a key member. Often acting as a moderator between China and India. And the Euro-Southeast Asia Trade Pact since 1999 following France's adoption of the euro, specific cooperative between the EU member states particularly France, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein and South Vietnam. In international business, China, Japan, South Vietnam, and South Korea are collectively called the 'Four Heavenly Economies' in reference to the Four Heavenly Kings of Buddhist tradition due to their influence in Asian and international trade, size, and production. Commerce While an open-market economy, state-owned businesses are common in South Vietnam, especially in the country's leading industries. In the private sector, Viet Corporation has a near monopoly on regional manufacturing, making 'Made in South Vietnam' a byword for quality in Asian markets. The top private employers in South Vietnam are Viet Corporation, CCHealth, VietTV, Nguyen Incorporated, and Hong Fashion House. Central Bank The Royal Bank of South Vietnam (RBSV) is South Vietnam's central bank. Despite the name, the monarchy does not have control of the bank, the royal family's finances are handled through the Royal Treasury Office. The RBSV is in charge of the country's monetary assets (issuing, printing, and collecting currency), is responsible for lending to South Vietnamese banks, setting interest rates, setting banking and lending regulations and investigating low levels of bank fraud through the Royal Bank of South Vietnam Fraud Department (capital cases are handed over to the Ministry of Justice). Adoption of the Swiss franc South Vietnam has used the franc as the base of its currency since 1885. When France adopted the euro as its currency, there was speculation that South Vietnam may adopt it as well, however European Union members rejected the notion in saying that South Vietnam is "…wholly in Asia, we would be willing to assist if even an inch of South Vietnam touched the European continent however because it does not, we can not." Not wanting to switch to the other major Asian currencies (Japan's yen, China's yuan, or the Korean won), the Royal Bank of South Vietnam in partnership with the Swiss Confederation and the Swiss National Bank (SNB), adopted the Swiss franc in 1999. Swiss franc banknotes and coins in South Vietnam are issued with Vietnamese motifs by the RBSV and the Royal Vietnamese Mint (coins) with prior SNB approval. Vietnamese franc The 'Vietnamese franc' is denoted by the ƒ symbol and is traded as VNF. The Vietnamese franc is currently valued at 0.95 VNF to 1.00 USD (US Dollar). Vietnamese franc is also legal tender in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Taxation South Vietnamese citizens pay a flat tax of 35.38% on all personal income up to ƒ50,000 and gradual addition of 2 per cent/per ƒ50,000. Corporations are taxed a 23% revenue tax/per ƒ100,000, and an additional 15% flat tax per property value evaluation. A so-called 'Big business tax', taxes large corporate leaders a graduating scale of 0.5 up to 3% in salary but allows a 37% charitable allowance. There is a limited estate tax in South Vietnam of 10% per every 100,000 to a cap of 600,000. Education Education in South Vietnam is compulsory until age 17, the legal age of maturity. From ages, 4-17 students are required to attend a public, private or royal charter school. The exception to the rule is for royal children, who until age 11 may be homeschooled by private tutors and/or other members of the royal family on the education of state. South Vietnam was an early pilot country for Switzerland's International Baccalaureate (IB) program in 1986 through IB Asia Pacific (IBAP). The education initiative would be a key bargaining chip for South Vietnam in 1999 in international banking. The IB program was offered at all South Vietnamese public schools in 1994. The IB program is offered alongside South Vietnam's New Education policy, that updates ~20 years. There are 75 public elementary, middle, and high schools in South Vietnam, 35 per cent of children, attend private school. There are five public national universities and three main military academies. All students upon matriculation must pass the National Students Proficiency Exam (NSPE) for a diploma and/or college admission. A specialised senior exam taken by students in their final year of high school comparable to the British A-Levels system. Infrastructure Energy South Vietnam's power supply is a combination of nuclear and wind and has been since the opening of the An Loc Nuclear Power Plant in 1984 and the Pleiku Nuclear Power Plant in 1996, and the Quang Ngai and Can Tho Power Stations in 2007 and 2016, respectively. The Director of Energy within the Interior Ministry is responsible for training, management, and safety inspections. Current energy regulations require all nuclear power plants and stations to undergo mandatory three-year inspections and are required to safely dispose of all nuclear waste. South Vietnam also has sprawling wind turbine farms in the Central Highlands, these turbines help to power essential operators in case of national emergency, to power and distribute power to remote regions, and serve as a reserve. Roughly six per cent of the power generated by nuclear power plants is redirected to continually power the turbines to allow for constant 2:1 produce/use wind power ratio. Roads South Vietnam has roughly 17,380.9 km of public paved roads and along with the North Vietnamese government operate the lower half of the Vietnamese Interstate System. The Vietnamese Interstate System was a collaborative infrastructure project spearheaded by King Philip in 1976. It allowed for Vietnamese goods and later citizens to travel between the two countries. Rail South Vietnam's public rail service is overseen by the Royal Rail Authority. the Royal Rail Authority operates the Royal Rail System operates with 27,268 km of total rail. Under the Royal Rail System are three main lines Saigon Rail and Metro (SRM), the Dalat Central Rail (DCR), and the Royal Coastal Railway (RCR). The SRM includes the Saigon Metro and permanent rail system that services the inner third of the country, the Dalat Central Rail services the central highlands and connects to the permanent rail system of the SRM. The Royal Coastal Railway services the coastal region and is equipped with permanent rail and Shinkansen bullet train service running from Bac Lieu to Da Nang with connections in Vung Tau, Nha Trang, and Quang Ngai. Air Saigon's Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Dalat Auvergne International Airport are South Vietnam's main commercial airports. Altogether 76 million travellers per year go through either commercial points of entry. There are plans to expand both if traffic reaches 100 million. There are also eight regional airports in service throughout South Vietnam. Air Vietnam is South Vietnam's national state-owned carrier. Its hub is Tan Son Nhat International Airport and flies to 44 countries including daily one-stop service from Saigon to Paris and New York, and non-stop service from Saigon to Tokyo, Beijing, Hanoi, Singapore and Manila. It is nicknamed 'Dragon Air' due to its distinct dragon livery. Waterways South Vietnam has ferry service in all major coastal cities and commercial shipping along the Mekong Delta. Media Internet There is no restriction on internet access or digital censorship in South Vietnam, King Henry II declared in a royal decree that South Vietnam is for net neutrality and that the nation's internet infrastructure must improve to a nationwide average of 1 Gbps by 2022. Currently, about 95% of South Vietnam has access to at least 10 Mbps speed internet, speeds up to 200 Mbps is common in large cities and towns. Television State-run TV media is provided by South Vietnam Broadcasting (SVB) and KingTV. SVB is a for-profit state channel that includes 24h news service, SVN, as well as SVB-produced movies and television shows. KingTV is South Vietnam's government broadcasting channel. It broadcasts the King's June Speech, a yearly address to the nation made from the Royal Palace of Saigon. It also broadcasts sessions of Parliament and other government and royal functions, as deemed appropriate. Radio South Vietnam has two state-run radio stations, part of the South Vietnam Communication Group and semi-private radio broadcasting company that altogether operates eight channels throughout the country. The largest state-run channel is KVNL or Radio Saigon, as well as KRYL or Radio Royals. VietMedia, a private media company operates 12 channels throughout South Vietnam. Military The Royal Vietnamese Military is the Kingdom's defence force consisting of four branches. South Vietnam spends 1.9% of the national GDP on defence. It has a combined strength of 887,000 enlisted. The Royal Generals of the Armed Forces, a select group that includes the King (as commander-in-chief) and all branch commanding officers creates, the South Vietnamese equivalent of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff—creates, maintains, and if needed, executes counter-military action. The chairman of the Royal Generals of the Armed Forces is Admiral Nguyen Tri Binh. Minimum two-year conscription is required for all able-bodied males from the age of 17-23. Conscripts may delay active service for 4-7 years with an education deferment. The CQ, while a civilian agency is under the direction of the King, and is South Vietnam's primary intelligence unit and assists the Royal Vietnamese Military as the King sees fit. The Royal Vietnamese Military is mostly involved in regional peacekeeping and as a deterrent against North Korean nuclear aggression. While the Royal Vietnamese Military is nuclear-powered it is not nuclear-armed, but still nuclear capable per the 1976 Asia Denuclearisation Pact, signed by both Vietnamese governments and all Western-allied nations in Asia. South Vietnam's military arsenal includes South Vietnamese-developed'' Biện Minh'' (BM-5) and Kết Thúc ''(KT-3) ICBM missiles and Trident II SLBM missiles. Under the 1976 Asia Denuclearisation Pact all missiles in South Vietnam are conventional weapons however, ''Biện Minh and Kết Thúc missiles can be nuclear-ready within 12 hours. Trident II missiles can be nuclear-ready within six hours. Royal Army The Royal Vietnamese National Guard is technically under the jurisdiction of the Royal Vietnamese Army with 396,000 enlisted army soldiers. The National Guard is the reserve force of the army, as only one-third of enlisted Army soldiers are active (220,000) by law in peacetime, giving the Royal Army a total strength of 616,000. A density of 31.7 soldiers per capita. The current commanding general is General Ly Long Mai. Royal Navy The Royal Vietnamese Navy is a blue-water navy with huge regional impact, consisting of 42 commissioned ships, one on order (20 per strike group) including two 80,000 tonne Hue-class nuclear-powered carriers, built in Nha Trang. The Royal Vietnamese Navy's naval jack is also the Nguyen dynasty royal flag. The KVS Hue is the Royal Vietnamese Navy's flagship, home-ported at Royal Navy Base Da Nang along with the 1st strike group. The second Hue-class nuclear-powered carrier, KVS Saigon ''is home-ported at Royal Navy Base Ca Mau along with the 2nd strike group. The ''Hue ''carrier program came from South Vietnamese interest in the US Navy's ''Kitty Hawk program. KVS Hue was commissioned in 1971, KVS Saigon ''was commissioned in 1974. Future The Royal Vietnamese Navy ordered a new carrier class in 2011 after King Henry II's 2010 June Speech where he urged the Commons to modernise the Navy to keep up with the new technological demands of the other branches. Plans were drawn up in 2012, with final approval and sponsorship from King Henry II in May 2013. It was laid down in Dec 2013, it was launched on Sept 2018 by King Nicolas with King Henry II in attendance. The 100,000 tonnes nuclear-powered ''Nguyen-class carrier was South Vietnam Shipbuilding's largest commission, public or private. KVS Nguyen ''is currently undergoing sea trials in the South China Sea if trials prove successful KVS ''Nguyen ''is scheduled for active commissioning in late 2019. Admiral Nguyen Tri Binh is the current commanding officer of the Royal Navy. Royal Air Force The Royal Vietnamese Air Force operates a fleet of 270 fighter/attack jets capable of carrier takeoffs and landings, as well as helicopter, reconnaissance, trainer, and transport aircraft. The Royal Vietnamese Air Force conducts regular training and war games with South Korea as a power projection exercise aimed at North Korea. The Royal Air Force also operates a fleet for state travel, consisting of two special configuration Airbus A350-900 aircraft with callsigns 'Royal One' when travelling with the King and 'Government One' when the Prime Minister travels. Air Marshal Vo Tinh Long is the current commanding officer. Royal Vietnamese Intelligence The Royal Vietnamese Intelligence Agency (CQ) is the civilian foreign intelligence service of the Kingdom of Vietnam, tasked with gathering, processing, and analysing national security information from around the world, primarily through the use of human intelligence (Royal Agents). As the principal intelligence authority of South Vietnam, the CQ Director reports to the Director of National Intelligence and is primarily focused on providing intelligence for the King and Cabinet Ministry of South Vietnam. Royal Agents are under the "will and direction of the King". South Vietnamese legal scholars have taken this to mean a "licence to kill". The current CQ Director is Dame ''(Phu nhân) Pham Thi Kim. Culture Fashion The áo dài is Vietnam's traditional dress. Suitable for men and women, however, there is a distinct difference between a North Vietnamese-designed áo dài and a South Vietnamese áo dài in that for females, a South Vietnamese dress is more form-fitting than its North Vietnamese counterpart. It is common to see áo dài ''worn by women in Parliament and at other public-speaking engagements. Much of South Vietnam's fashion industry is influenced directly by Paris. It is common to see a more western-style dress in cities, port cities, and central highland towns and the more traditional ''Áo bà ba, in and along the Mekong Delta and the rural plains. Symbols The current national flag of South Vietnam is called colloquially as the 'break up flag' by locals after the war and its official adoption in 1956. The national flag features a red Montreal cross overlain a central white stripe signifying peace on a yellow backdrop. Symbolically, the Montreal cross is partly a recall of Catholic France and how the Second Nguyen dynasty is Catholic, however, the way it's laid out, width-wise, South Vietnamese have taken that to signify the narrow border (5 km) that splits up the country. It has been the dream of South Vietnamese kings for 64 years go back to the 'imperial flag'. In practice today, it is only seen on Air Vietnam liveries. Category:Nations Category:Nations in Asia Category:South Vietnam (PW Verse)